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1700255

	registered interest
	date	12/04/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Afghanistan: Refugees
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2024 to Question 19061 on Afghanistan, how many ARAP scheme applications have been reassessed as of 12 April 2024.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	21043
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/04/2024 answer text <p>The reassessment of applications from those with credible links to former Afghan specialist units is well under way and is being conducted by staff independent of those who previously worked on these applications.</p><p> </p><p>The first reassessment occurred on March 26, and we aim to complete reassessing the majority of the approximately 2,000 cases in scope of the review within around 12 weeks. Some complex cases might extend beyond this as we ensure all evidence is considered.</p><p> </p><p>I will update the House once the review is completed, but my immediate priority is processing the cases as swiftly and diligently as possible and ensuring that the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme criteria is consistently applied to all applications being reassessed.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 17/04/2024 14:39:40 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1696744

	registered interest
	date	18/03/2024
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Foreign Influence Registration Scheme
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when he plans that the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme will go live.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	19060
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2024 answer text <p>We intend that the scheme will become operational later this year. The work to deliver this, including establishing a Case Management Unit, the supporting IT, and developing relevant guidance, is happening at pace.</p><p>We are working on ensuring regulations on the new powers covered in the National Security Act are fully consulted on with operational partners and key stakeholders and are laid in Parliament as Statutory Instruments in advance of go live of the scheme.</p><p>The Government expects to publicise the intended ‘go live’ date several months in advance to ensure those affected by the scheme are given sufficient time to prepare.</p> answering member constituency Tonbridge and Malling answering member printed Tom Tugendhat question first answered 21/03/2024 12:43:26 answering member 4462 label Biography information for Tom Tugendhat
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1696747

	registered interest
	date	18/03/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Afghanistan: Refugees
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what progress he has made on the reassessment of ARAP eligibility decisions for former members of the ATF-444 and CF-333.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	19061
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2024 answer text <p>We are currently providing a comprehensive package of training and guidance to the team of case workers which will carry out the case-by-case reassessment of Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme applications from applicants with credible links to Afghan specialist units. The individuals in the case work team are independent of those who took the initial eligibility decisions on this tranche of applications.</p><p>Systems and processes are now in place, and we are due to start reassessing cases imminently. Once we begin reassessing cases, we estimate it will take approximately 12 weeks to complete the entire review.</p> answering member constituency Wells answering member printed James Heappey question first answered 21/03/2024 16:52:35 answering member 4528 label Biography information for James Heappey
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1695407

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2024
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	General Elections: Slovakia
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the Defending Democracy Taskforce has made an assessment of the prevalence of (a) misinformation and disinformation and (b) AI in the Slovakian general election.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	18169
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2024 answer text <p>The FCDO will continue to work with international partners, including those holding elections this year, to exchange best practice on shared threats to our democratic processes including information threats and AI.</p><p>We continue to monitor international electoral events to inform our work to protect the UK from interference in our democratic process, including elections.</p> answering member constituency Tonbridge and Malling answering member printed Tom Tugendhat question first answered 21/03/2024 14:29:55 answering member 4462 label Biography information for Tom Tugendhat
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1695410

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2024
	answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept id	208
	answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	hansard heading	Disinformation and Hate Crime
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if his Department will publish the recent work of the CSSF Hate Speech and Disinformation Programme.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	18170
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2024 answer text <p>The Government will routinely publish the programme summaries and annual review summaries of Conflict, Security and Stability Fund (CSSF) programmes on gov.uk. Since its launch in 2022, the 'Hate Speech and Disinformation Programme' in Pakistan has trained university students on digital literacy; trained government officers to identify and tackle hateful narratives; and supported efforts to counter disinformation in the electoral process. The programme summary is due to be published by Summer 2024.</p> answering member constituency Sutton Coldfield answering member printed Mr Andrew Mitchell question first answered 20/03/2024 17:35:23 answering member 1211 label Biography information for Mr Andrew Mitchell
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1694250

	registered interest
	date	06/03/2024
	answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept id	208
	answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	hansard heading	Ecuador: Emergency Powers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2024 to Question 9041 on Ecuador: Emergency Powers, what steps his Department (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to support Ecuador.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	17357
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2024 answer text <p>Staff in Quito and London remain in regular contact with the Ecuadorean authorities following recent security incidents and the declaration of a nationwide state of emergency in January. Our wide-ranging security cooperation includes practical capacity and capability support, such as the donation in early March of essential security equipment which will bolster frontline police capability and protection. I [Minister Rutley] spoke with Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Sommerfeld on 7 March and reaffirmed the UK's commitment to supporting Ecuador in its fight against serious organised crime. We are committed to supporting the country in ensuring that the rule of law prevails.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 11/03/2024 17:11:26 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1693573

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2024
	answering body	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
	answering dept id	216
	answering dept short name	Science, Innovation and Technology
	answering dept sort name	Science, Innovation and Technology
	hansard heading	Internet: Regulation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether officials in her Department have had discussions with Ofcom on the adequacy of Ofcom's plans in respect of regulation of the dark web.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	16788
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/03/2024 answer text <p>The Online Safety Act gives online user-to-user and search providers new duties to tackle illegal user content and activity and keep children on their services safe. Ofcom is the regulator for this regime. It will set out the steps providers can take to fulfil these duties in codes of practice, which must be approved by Parliament before they can take effect.</p><p> </p><p>Ofcom is clear that services on the ‘dark web’ are in scope of the Act. For example, it set this out in its recent consultation on its proposals for how providers should approach their illegal content duties.</p><p> </p><p>The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and Ofcom are working closely together on the implementation of the Online Safety Act.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Saqib Bhatti question first answered 07/03/2024 11:12:44 answering member 4818 label Biography information for Saqib Bhatti
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1692745

	registered interest
	date	29/02/2024
	answering body	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
	answering dept id	216
	answering dept short name	Science, Innovation and Technology
	answering dept sort name	Science, Innovation and Technology
	hansard heading	Internet: Disinformation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether Ofcom has had recent discussions with telecommunications companies on tackling online (a) misinformation and (b) disinformation.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	16356
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2024 answer text <p>Ofcom will have regular discussions with firms within its regulatory remit, details of those meetings are a matter for Ofcom as the independent regulator.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Under the Online Safety Act, Ofcom will have responsibility for regulating in-scope companies to ensure they are effectively taking action against illegal disinformation online and disinformation which intersects with the Act’s named categories of harmful content to children. These duties will come into force once Ofcom has completed its consultation and publication of the relevant Codes of Practice.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Act also updates Ofcom’s statutory media literacy duty to require it to take tangible steps to prioritise the public's awareness of and resilience to misinformation and disinformation online. These duties are already in force.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>It is a matter for Ofcom to decide what information to publish in the discharge of its regulatory responsibilities.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Saqib Bhatti grouped question UIN 16358 question first answered 05/03/2024 15:42:01 answering member 4818 label Biography information for Saqib Bhatti
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1692749

	registered interest
	date	29/02/2024
	answering body	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
	answering dept id	216
	answering dept short name	Science, Innovation and Technology
	answering dept sort name	Science, Innovation and Technology
	hansard heading	Internet: Disinformation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many cases of online (a) misinformation and (b) disinformation Ofcom has dealt with since the implementation of the Online Safety Act 2023; and if he will ask Ofcom to publish those figures regularly.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	16358
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2024 answer text <p>Ofcom will have regular discussions with firms within its regulatory remit, details of those meetings are a matter for Ofcom as the independent regulator.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>Under the Online Safety Act, Ofcom will have responsibility for regulating in-scope companies to ensure they are effectively taking action against illegal disinformation online and disinformation which intersects with the Act’s named categories of harmful content to children. These duties will come into force once Ofcom has completed its consultation and publication of the relevant Codes of Practice.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>The Act also updates Ofcom’s statutory media literacy duty to require it to take tangible steps to prioritise the public's awareness of and resilience to misinformation and disinformation online. These duties are already in force.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>It is a matter for Ofcom to decide what information to publish in the discharge of its regulatory responsibilities.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Saqib Bhatti grouped question UIN 16356 question first answered 05/03/2024 15:42:01 answering member 4818 label Biography information for Saqib Bhatti
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1692366

	registered interest
	date	28/02/2024
	answering body	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
	answering dept id	216
	answering dept short name	Science, Innovation and Technology
	answering dept sort name	Science, Innovation and Technology
	hansard heading	Media Literacy Task Force
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many times the Media Literacy Taskforce has met in the last 12 months.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	16122
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/03/2024 answer text <p>The Media Literacy Taskforce provides the government with expert advice on how best to implement our Online Media Literacy Strategy. In the past 12 months we have convened the Taskforce four times. This has included meetings to seek their advice on delivery of the interventions we are funding through our Media Literacy Taskforce Fund, and to consult on research exploring citizens’ barriers to engagement with media literacy initiatives. The report from this research has been published on gov.uk.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Saqib Bhatti question first answered 04/03/2024 15:05:41 answering member 4818 label Biography information for Saqib Bhatti
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1692371

	registered interest
	date	28/02/2024
	answering body	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
	answering dept id	216
	answering dept short name	Science, Innovation and Technology
	answering dept sort name	Science, Innovation and Technology
	hansard heading	National Security Online Information Team
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department plans to publish any of the work produced by the National Security Online Information Team.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	16125
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/03/2024 answer text <p>The National Security and Online Information Team (NSOIT) tackles online attempts to manipulate the information environment while respecting the right to free speech, by only monitoring themes and trends - not individuals. The team is focused solely on risks posed to national security and public safety, including threats posed by foreign states as well as risks to election integrity.</p><p> </p><p>NSOIT is comprised of civil servants who are employed by DSIT. The team’s size and membership is adjusted according to the nature of the threat which is being faced at any one time. The work produced by NSOIT is shared with other Government departments who have an interest in its areas of focus. However, there are no plans for this work to be published or shared more widely, as this would give malign actors, including hostile states, insights into NSOIT’s capabilities and areas of focus.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Saqib Bhatti grouped question UIN 16126 question first answered 04/03/2024 15:03:42 answering member 4818 label Biography information for Saqib Bhatti
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1692373

	registered interest
	date	28/02/2024
	answering body	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
	answering dept id	216
	answering dept short name	Science, Innovation and Technology
	answering dept sort name	Science, Innovation and Technology
	hansard heading	National Security Online Information Team: Staff
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many members of staff are currently working at the National Security Online Information Team.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	16126
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/03/2024 answer text <p>The National Security and Online Information Team (NSOIT) tackles online attempts to manipulate the information environment while respecting the right to free speech, by only monitoring themes and trends - not individuals. The team is focused solely on risks posed to national security and public safety, including threats posed by foreign states as well as risks to election integrity.</p><p> </p><p>NSOIT is comprised of civil servants who are employed by DSIT. The team’s size and membership is adjusted according to the nature of the threat which is being faced at any one time. The work produced by NSOIT is shared with other Government departments who have an interest in its areas of focus. However, there are no plans for this work to be published or shared more widely, as this would give malign actors, including hostile states, insights into NSOIT’s capabilities and areas of focus.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Saqib Bhatti grouped question UIN 16125 question first answered 04/03/2024 15:03:42 answering member 4818 label Biography information for Saqib Bhatti
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1692160

	registered interest
	date	27/02/2024
	answering body	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
	answering dept id	216
	answering dept short name	Science, Innovation and Technology
	answering dept sort name	Science, Innovation and Technology
	hansard heading	Online Safety Act 2023: Prosecutions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, how many prosecutions have taken place under the false communications offence as set out in section 179 of the Online Safety Act 2023.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	15891
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/03/2024 answer text <p>The false communications offence was introduced by the Online Safety Act 2023 (“the Act”). The communication offences in the Act, including the false communications offence were commenced on 31 January this year.</p><p> </p><p>The Ministry of Justice publish information on prosecutions, convictions and sentence outcomes under specific legislation. The Act gained Royal Assent in October 2023; therefore, it is not yet available in the published figures. Figures up to December 2023 are intended for publication in May 2024.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Saqib Bhatti question first answered 01/03/2024 11:44:06 answering member 4818 label Biography information for Saqib Bhatti
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1692161

	registered interest
	date	27/02/2024
	answering body	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
	answering dept id	216
	answering dept short name	Science, Innovation and Technology
	answering dept sort name	Science, Innovation and Technology
	hansard heading	Online Safety Act 2023: Enforcement and Fines
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what (a) fines and (b) enforcement actions have been imposed upon telecoms providers since the Online Safety Act 2023 came into force.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	15892
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/03/2024 answer text <p>The Online Safety Act received Royal Assent on 26 October 2023. As with other areas it regulates, Ofcom must first establish codes of practice and enforcement guidance, before duties come into force and enforcement action can be taken. Ofcom has begun a programme of consultations on the relevant codes and guidance, which are expected to be in force by early 2025.</p><p> </p><p>The new laws in the Act apply to online search services and services that allow users to post content or interact with each other online. They do not apply to services outside of this scope – e.g. ‘offline’ telecoms services.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Saqib Bhatti grouped question UIN 15893 question first answered 01/03/2024 11:29:33 answering member 4818 label Biography information for Saqib Bhatti
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1692162

	registered interest
	date	27/02/2024
	answering body	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
	answering dept id	216
	answering dept short name	Science, Innovation and Technology
	answering dept sort name	Science, Innovation and Technology
	hansard heading	Online Safety Act 2023: Fines
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether any telecoms provider has been fined up to a maximum of 10 per cent of its relative turnover as set out in the Online Safety Act 2023, since that Act came into force.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	15893
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/03/2024 answer text <p>The Online Safety Act received Royal Assent on 26 October 2023. As with other areas it regulates, Ofcom must first establish codes of practice and enforcement guidance, before duties come into force and enforcement action can be taken. Ofcom has begun a programme of consultations on the relevant codes and guidance, which are expected to be in force by early 2025.</p><p> </p><p>The new laws in the Act apply to online search services and services that allow users to post content or interact with each other online. They do not apply to services outside of this scope – e.g. ‘offline’ telecoms services.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Saqib Bhatti grouped question UIN 15892 question first answered 01/03/2024 11:29:33 answering member 4818 label Biography information for Saqib Bhatti
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1692163

	registered interest
	date	27/02/2024
	answering body	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
	answering dept id	216
	answering dept short name	Science, Innovation and Technology
	answering dept sort name	Science, Innovation and Technology
	hansard heading	Media Literacy Task Force
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what steps the Media Literacy Taskforce has taken to protect the public from (a) misinformation and (b) disinformation.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	15894
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/03/2024 answer text <p>The Media Literacy Taskforce, a body of 17 media literacy experts drawn from the tech industry, civil society, the press sector and academia, was established in March 2022. DSIT consults the Taskforce on how to tackle the key challenges facing the media literacy landscape, in particular that of how to improve provision for citizens who are disengaged or lack access to support.</p><p> </p><p>For example, the Taskforce played a key role in launching the Media Literacy Taskforce Fund, a grant scheme through which we awarded over £800,000 to four innovative media literacy projects delivered over the financial years 2022/23 and 2023/24. These projects seek to build the online safety and critical thinking skills of users from all age groups, empowering them to respond effectively to the threats posed by mis- and disinformation, along with other online harms. Taskforce members advised the government on which projects should be awarded funding, and then helped grant recipients to maximise the impact of their projects.</p><p> </p><p>The Taskforce does not produce its own reports or other written materials for publication. However, Government has committed to publishing annual Action Plans until the end of Financial Year 2024/2025, setting out initiatives to meet the Online Media Literacy Strategy’s ambition. All projects funded in relation to the Strategy are evaluated robustly and findings will be published on gov.uk, improving the effectiveness and efficiency of future media literacy initiatives and informing government policy moving forward.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Saqib Bhatti grouped question UIN 15895 question first answered 01/03/2024 11:41:09 answering member 4818 label Biography information for Saqib Bhatti
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1692164

	registered interest
	date	27/02/2024
	answering body	Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
	answering dept id	216
	answering dept short name	Science, Innovation and Technology
	answering dept sort name	Science, Innovation and Technology
	hansard heading	Media Literacy Task Force
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if her Department will publish the recent work of the Media Literacy Taskforce.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	15895
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/03/2024 answer text <p>The Media Literacy Taskforce, a body of 17 media literacy experts drawn from the tech industry, civil society, the press sector and academia, was established in March 2022. DSIT consults the Taskforce on how to tackle the key challenges facing the media literacy landscape, in particular that of how to improve provision for citizens who are disengaged or lack access to support.</p><p> </p><p>For example, the Taskforce played a key role in launching the Media Literacy Taskforce Fund, a grant scheme through which we awarded over £800,000 to four innovative media literacy projects delivered over the financial years 2022/23 and 2023/24. These projects seek to build the online safety and critical thinking skills of users from all age groups, empowering them to respond effectively to the threats posed by mis- and disinformation, along with other online harms. Taskforce members advised the government on which projects should be awarded funding, and then helped grant recipients to maximise the impact of their projects.</p><p> </p><p>The Taskforce does not produce its own reports or other written materials for publication. However, Government has committed to publishing annual Action Plans until the end of Financial Year 2024/2025, setting out initiatives to meet the Online Media Literacy Strategy’s ambition. All projects funded in relation to the Strategy are evaluated robustly and findings will be published on gov.uk, improving the effectiveness and efficiency of future media literacy initiatives and informing government policy moving forward.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Saqib Bhatti grouped question UIN 15894 question first answered 01/03/2024 11:41:09 answering member 4818 label Biography information for Saqib Bhatti
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1687831

	registered interest
	date	06/02/2024
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Text Messaging: Fraud
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress he has made on tackling SIM farms since 3 May 2023.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	13288
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/02/2024 answer text <p>Last week, I joined a City of London Police operation which saw two men arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud. The men were in possession of SIM farms which allow fraudulent texts to be sent to the public.<a href="https://twitter.com/ukhomeoffice/status/1758400939449344029" target="_blank"> <br> </a><br> We must deny criminals access to any tool that allows them to send bulk messages or make scam calls.This is why in May 2023, we consulted on proposals to ban SIM farms. The Government’s response to the consultation is available at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/preventing-the-use-of-sim-farms-for-fraud" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/preventing-the-use-of-sim-farms-for-fraud</a></p><p>We are now taking legislative action to ban “SIM farms”, technical devices that allow criminals to send scam texts to thousands of people at the same time.</p><p>The Criminal Justice Bill introduces a new offence of supplying or possessing SIM farms, without good reason or undertaking adequate due diligence. The measures will also allow the extension of the ban to other technologies that are exploited by criminals to scam the British public, subject to a high level of scrutiny and checks.</p><p>This new offence will make it more difficult for criminals to access and use these devices for the purpose of fraud and will give police the necessary tools to disrupt fraudsters.</p> answering member constituency Tonbridge and Malling answering member printed Tom Tugendhat question first answered 27/02/2024 16:45:04 answering member 4462 label Biography information for Tom Tugendhat
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1687832

	registered interest
	date	06/02/2024
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Artificial Intelligence: Disinformation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many staff in his Department are working on countering deepfake material.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	13289
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2024 answer text <p>The Home Office is working closely with law enforcement, international partners, industry and across Government – including with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) as lead Department - to address the risks associated with deepfakes.</p><p>This includes Home Office teams working across crime and policing, national security, immigration and science and technology as well as the Defending Democracy Taskforce. Work on deepfakes forms part of a wider Home Office programme to manage the risks and opportunities from artificial intelligence.</p><p>We are unable to provide figures for departmental staff working on deepfakes as headcount is captured according to crime type, or broader work on artificial intelligence, and not broken down into activities specific to deepfakes.</p> answering member constituency Tonbridge and Malling answering member printed Tom Tugendhat question first answered 19/02/2024 17:35:53 answering member 4462 label Biography information for Tom Tugendhat
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1687833

	registered interest
	date	06/02/2024
	answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept id	208
	answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
	hansard heading	Disinformation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what support he plans to provide to international partners to tackle (a) disinformation and (b) misinformation in the next 12 months.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	13290
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2024 answer text <p>As set out in the Integrated Review Refresh 2023, the FCDO has established a new directorate to increase its capability to assess and respond to the full range of information threats by hostile actors and build international partnerships to work together in tackling these threats.</p><p>The FCDO has established programmes to challenge Russian disinformation activity in Europe. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, we have enhanced these long-standing capabilities to support partner Governments, independent media and civil societies across Europe to challenge and resist Russia's information manipulation and attempts to fracture unity. We have enhanced our partnership with the Government of Ukraine to help them challenge Russian disinformation domestically and internationally. In the coming 12 months we will continue our partnerships with Ukraine and countries across Europe to tackle Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference.</p> answering member constituency Macclesfield answering member printed David Rutley question first answered 19/02/2024 08:20:38 answering member 4033 label Biography information for David Rutley
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1687834

	registered interest
	date	06/02/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Afghanistan: Refugees
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the safety of people in Pakistan previously rejected by the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy who are having applications reconsidered.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	13291
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2024 answer text <p>The UK Government has had constructive and ongoing conversations with the Government of Pakistan to take steps to prevent the deportation Afghans eligible for UK resettlement schemes from Pakistan.</p><p>I have instructed MOD officials to raise awareness of this issue with the Pakistani authorities so that protection from deportation can be extended to those individuals within scope of the forthcoming reassessment of decisions taken on ineligible applications from former members of Afghan specialist units.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wells answering member printed James Heappey grouped question UIN 13292 question first answered 19/02/2024 13:35:59 answering member 4528 label Biography information for James Heappey
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1687836

	registered interest
	date	06/02/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Defence
	answering dept id	11
	answering dept short name	Defence
	answering dept sort name	Defence
	hansard heading	Afghanistan: Refugees
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the safety of people in Pakistan who (a) have previously had an application to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme rejected and (b) are waiting for their application to be reconsidered.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	13292
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2024 answer text <p>The UK Government has had constructive and ongoing conversations with the Government of Pakistan to take steps to prevent the deportation Afghans eligible for UK resettlement schemes from Pakistan.</p><p>I have instructed MOD officials to raise awareness of this issue with the Pakistani authorities so that protection from deportation can be extended to those individuals within scope of the forthcoming reassessment of decisions taken on ineligible applications from former members of Afghan specialist units.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wells answering member printed James Heappey grouped question UIN 13291 question first answered 19/02/2024 13:35:59 answering member 4528 label Biography information for James Heappey
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1687431

	registered interest
	date	05/02/2024
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Organised Crime
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to Answer of 23 January 2024 to Question 8437 on Organised Crime, what his Department's timescale is for the publication of the cost of Serious and Organised Crime.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	13057
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2024 answer text <p>The Home Office will update the figure this year once data for financial year 2022/23 is available across all the SOC crime areas. We estimate that a research report on the cost of serious and organised crime will be completed and ready for publication in 2025.</p> answering member constituency Corby answering member printed Tom Pursglove question first answered 08/02/2024 16:27:02 answering member 4369 label Biography information for Tom Pursglove
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1687432

	registered interest
	date	05/02/2024
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Home Office: Public Appointments
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 18 January 2024 to Question 8979 on Home Office: Public Appointments, what his Department's timescale is for the publication of the outcome of the recruitment process for the role of the Independent Advisor for the Defending Democracy Taskforce and Open-Source Intelligence Hub.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	13058
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2024 answer text <p>In line with similar appointments, the Home Office will publish the outcome of the recruitment process for the role of the Independent Advisor for the Defending Democracy Taskforce and Open-Source Intelligence Hub.</p><p>The Government will publish the outcome at the earliest opportunity.</p> answering member constituency Tonbridge and Malling answering member printed Tom Tugendhat question first answered 08/02/2024 16:09:22 answering member 4462 label Biography information for Tom Tugendhat
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1687433

	registered interest
	date	05/02/2024
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Defending Democracy Taskforce: Disinformation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps the Defending Democracy Taskforce is taking to help reduce disinformation at the next general election.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	13059
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/02/2024 answer text <p>The Government is committed to safeguarding the UK’s elections and already has established systems and processes in place, to protect the democratic integrity of the UK.</p><p>DSIT is the lead department on artificial intelligence and is part of the Defending Democracy Taskforce which has a mandate to safeguard our democratic institutions and processes from the full range of threats. The Taskforce ensures we have a robust system in place to rapidly respond to any threats during election periods.</p><p>Furthermore, the Online Safety Act places new requirements on social media platforms to swiftly remove illegal misinformation and disinformation - including artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes - as soon as they become aware of it. The Act also updates Ofcom’s statutory media literacy duty to require it to take tangible steps to prioritise the public's awareness of and resilience to misinformation and disinformation online. This includes enabling users to establish the reliability, accuracy, and authenticity of content.</p><p>Finally, the threat to democracy from artificial intelligence was discussed at the AI Safety Summit in November 2023, reinforcing the Government’s commitment to international collaboration on this shared challenge.</p> answering member constituency Tonbridge and Malling answering member printed Tom Tugendhat question first answered 08/02/2024 16:11:17 answering member 4462 label Biography information for Tom Tugendhat
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis